If you’ve been following Wii U Daily regularly, you know that we’re running a contest where you can win a copy of the recently released Hyrule Historia. All you need to do is tell us what you think the next Zelda game will be named. This concept takes it a bit further by releasing a fully fleshed out idea for the game, including character roles, places to visit, and character outfits.

That’s all you people ever say – AWESOME!! No matter what it is, it is AWESOME!!

Genesect4ssb4

get out troll

Laud

Why does Zelda have to be like Link though? It seems more like feminists trying to make Zelda the “hero”

Zelda has her own unique and bad ass powers, why not give her the harp that OPENS DIMENSIONS.

I don’t know about this one guys.

Adrian

This is the first comment you’ve ever made that I’ve upvoted. Haha.

routerbad

It would allow the franchise to branch out. It isn’t unheard of to have Zelda play a starring role. Being able to play a game where you get to wield those powers of hers is exactly the point.

Laud

So what they do is make Zelda the super hero and Link the naive weakling? Why doesn’t Link have super powers like Zelda? Oh right, because feminists want to be better than men even though we’re already equal.

Metal_Man_v2

You may be looking to much into it. I’m not really a fan of feminism either, rather that people respect both genders, but the concept behind this game doesn’t seem feminist at all. What is so wrong about someone coming up with an idea that includes switching the two roles of the main characters?

I do think this concept is a bit feminist. Link is the weak and naive guy, and Zelda is the strong and adventurous girl, lol

Metal_Man_v2

It’s not any more feminist than Link saving Zelda is sexist. Any gender can be a hero, and any gender can be weak and naive. These sexist and feminist controversies with ideas, movies, and games, are most often our own fabrications from our insecurities (not saying you’re insecure).

Laud

The difference is that Link doesn’t have MAGICAL POWERS like Zelda does in the actual games. From the description we know that Link is a giant pansy.

greengecko007

And why should he have magical powers? He doesn’t in any of the other games, bar using magical items. The idea of a helpless, sheltered man offends you, but would you feel the same way if it were a girl? I recall Link from WW being quite pathetic and puny compared to Zelda, then Tetra, but he grew up on his journey and became strong.

I agree that this idea wouldn’t fit in the game, but saying it is feminist is just ingorant.

Metal_Man_v2

I really don’t know how to explain it any better. Link being portrayed as a sheltered prince doesn’t offend me or my masculinity. It’s a fictional character, in a fan idea. It doesn’t imply any sort of extreme sexist or feminist idea that men are inferior to women.

It only offers a creative twist to my favorite video game series, and the only real flaw is that it doesn’t quite match up with the lore that was revealed in some of the previous games. Like I said in an earlier post, if this were just a gender swap (female Link and male prince Zelda) the lore wold match up and I’d be on board fully with this game.

Believe it or not there are some great feminists out there. Unfortunately you are getting exposed to the sexist wing. The good ones want equal work and equal pay not censorship and totalitarian control over art. The true feminist is more concerned about how many women worked on the project and whether office treatment was equal.

I agree,and I notice every comment that disagrees with Zelda being the warrior,gets down voted. People try to make everything sexist. Link is the warrior,Zelda is the Princess,Ganondorf is the gangsta’,what’s wrong with this formula?

greengecko007

What’s wrong with a fan idea that switches the roles of the characters? I agree that it doesn’t fit the game per say, but people crying “EEW” in the comments section and crying sexism and feminism need to get over it because they have no idea what they are talking about.

This idea was cultivated as a response to Feminist Frequency (a single self identified feminist that targets Nintendos artistic direction and abuses the sensitivities of modern society for monetary gains). What exactly is anybody not understanding?

greengecko007

Yes, it was inspired by Anita’s ingorant feminist views on the damsel in distress trope. It does not say anywhere on the artists tumblr post that he agrees with her. The artwork merely was inspired by Anita suggesting that a female take a more dominant role in a well known series.

Anyone who remotely understands the Zelda series knows that Princess Zelda is incredibly important. Not as being the damsel in distress but for being the guiding force of the quest, and for offering her knowledge. Honestly, Link has no clue what he’s doing (just look at his game expressions) he gets help from lots of people. Link saving Zelda isn’t sexist, that’s just the way the story goes. The same applies to the artwork. The story consists of Zelda saving Link, and that’s it.

Genesect4ssb4

Its not that I dont realize that zelda has her own powers (remember her art with the rapier in TP?) I just like the time put into the art. For an actual zelda game, I’d be dissapointed.

marth175

It seems ok, but doesn’t seem very Zelda-ish to me though. It would be a great concept for a different game

hikkerd

I would like to see this, but not as a Zelda game.

Laud

It better be called: The Legend of Link or I’m protesting.

Cubester_64

HAHAHAHAHA!

bizzy gie

I don’t know. Zelda should at least start doing some of the work. Link does everything yet Zelda’s name gets put in the title. Not fair.

Guest

That’s because it’s about Zelda. If it were about Link, then he wouldn’t going on a massive quest to save Zelda.

bizzy gie

I don’t think my comment was read correctly. I was just saying that if I were in a video game risking my life to save a princess, it’d kind of bug me that the person who was saved gets more attention than the person who did the saving.

Nintendude

It makes more sense to me now why they put Zelda’s name in the title. You see, even though Link is the hero, he is pretty much a nobody. Notice how whenever they mention him in legends, he is always known as “The Hero of (insert title here)” and never Link.

Now THERE’S the twist that the Legend of Zelda series needs. I would certainly buy this. Love it!

DK_Hadouken

Umm… Skyward Sword obviously cleared out the fact that the “Spirit of the HERO” will be reborn as Link. The descendants of Hylia will always be reborn as ZELDA. Case closed. But maybe we’ll see her in a bigger role as it was tinkered with in Spirit Tracks.

EDIT: Gamelon?! REALLY?! That is CD-i non-canon mythology!
EDIT: It’s called “The Legend of Zelda” because Hylia wrote the Legend of the Spirit of the Hero. Hylia=Zelda.

routerbad

Very true, but a story that is an aside would not be out of the question. Zelda doesn’t exactly sit around waiting for Link to complete his quest, she acts. So while Link is the Spirit of the HERO, that doesn’t negate the fact that Zelda regularly acts with HEROISM herself. To say that everyone in the Zelda universe is a lemming save for one kid named Link would be unfair to what many of the characters do, in their own part, to assist Link in his quests.

Denvy

Certainly a lot of work went into this, but I would not buy it if it ever came to be. It’s a bit ridiculous.

Ace J

at first i took one look at this shit and i was like wtf is this stupid ass shit? but then i started looking at some the art work. now i have to admit it does seem like a pretty good idea

ChiwawaBoi

looks legit. I really hope nintendo puts midna back in the game.

Genesect4ssb4

Lol did u see the “fan art” part?

ChiwawaBoi

yeah. I seen it. im just saying, I would hope to see midna in the next game.

Michael Taylor Hawthorne

Imp form or normal?

ChiwawaBoi

normal form. since the curse was lifted in tp, she would be normal form. although, I dont know how she would accompany link on his adventure without being in some kind of spirit form.

Michael Taylor Hawthorne

I wonder how she would get out of the twilight realm if she did come back

ChiwawaBoi

the mirror being restored somehow, maybe.

Jon

There was a similar idea to this that was posted on memebase like a month and a half to two months back……

Why would anyone want to play as Zelda? Unless you’re a girl,I can’t see why any guy would want to play as a girl…

hikkerd

i am a guy and i play metroid

Adrian

Her name is Samus! And she was always the heroine/main character of the metroid series.. Playing as Zelda would be like a whole Mario game dedicated to playing as Peach.

queisuseless

Super Princess Peach.

But I agree, that was a spin-off game that was very unlike any other Mario game. To do this, they’d need a whole new style of gameplay. A LoZ game requires link saving the princess, that’s just one of the needed plots.

Adrian

Was there a Super Princess Peach game? haha

routerbad

Not necessarily. The standard premise is link saving Zelda, and by extension Hyrule, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.A future where Hyrule has been lost to time would allow for this I think.

routerbad

Well, not even really saving Zelda most of the time, the whole premise is to restore peace and balance to Hyrule. SS Zelda was on her own quest while you were looking for her. I think the only one where the main goal is to actually rescue Zelda is aLttP, all the others are more about restoring Hyrule than anything else, something Zelda typically helps with on one way or another.

I never said I don’t play games with the protagonist being female. I said why do people want to play as Zelda sooo much? I never see people saying,”I wish I could be a guy in Metroid!!”

routerbad

Because Zelda is one of the strongest characters in all of videogames. Who gives a sh** whether the main protagonist is male or female so long as the game is fun and it advances the lore in the case of a series like Zelda?

And if I recall correctly,Myamoto said he wants people to feel like they are Link,that is one of the reason Link doesn’t talk. It would be odd if I was to imagine I’m a girl when playing TLoZ.

tronic307

I enjoyed playing as young Lara Croft recently. Frightened out of her wits, yet slaughtering an entire island of baddies. I wouldn’t mind having HER on my team!

blah

meh, its just a super generic steam punk RPG with zelda stuff sprinkled over it. maybe as another game it would be okay but as a zelda game its just not good.

Dillik

I reluctantly agree with the people who say this might make an even better non-Zelda game. It’s not because I’m afraid this concept would adulterate the Zelda franchise (I really do want to see a good Zelda game with Zelda as the hero), but I’m afraid Nintendo would adulterate this concept.

Adrian

The artwork does look crisp. Definitely a talented artist created it.
However,,,,I don’t like the idea as playing as Zelda. I would possibly play it if it were produced by whoever makes the zelda games, and under a different IP.

Archiq09

SteampunK Zelda? :]

Zuxs13

Why doesn’t Zelda actually look like a girl? Is this like reverse anime (guys all look like androgynous women)?

Fuzunga

Does that make it “The Legend of Link”?

Metal_Man_v2

The amount of work put into this is incredible, and the quality of the artwork is very professional, so kudos to the creator. The concepts are very creative, while also using some familiar pieces from the Zelda franchise.

That said, I don’t like the idea of having Zelda as the protagonist. From what we learned about the cycle from Skyward Sword, there will always be three separate entities. The hero (courage), one with the blood of the goddess (wisdom), and the villain (power). I wouldn’t mind a female Link, but having Zelda as the hero combines two parts of the triforce, which I feel greatly alters the basis of Zelda.

Just my opinion, everything is presented very well otherwise.

Nintendude

/
This

AkaLink77

Yah, im a huge TLOZ fan and the art is epic and the ideas are clever but the thought of having Zelda as the main character is kinda….unoriginal…
And since Zelda is the protagonist this time … the title should be
“The Legend of Link”
XD

Nintedward

Spot on. And another thing is , I don’t mean to sound sexist but zelda holding the Master sword like that is all wrong. The sword can only be wielded by the chosen Hero and bearer of the tri force of courage.
If they have this big overlapping story with reincarnated characters and basically infinite possibilities, then like you say, a female Link would be an idea I would be perfectly happy to explore.

Metal_Man_v2

LOL It’s not sexist at all, so don’t worry about that. But yeah, that’s another good point.

Magnus Eriksson

Maybe Nintendo will do something along these lines? They will probably bring in some multiplayer feature as they are “rethinking the concepts”. Maybe gameplay with both Link and Zelda as playable characters. I dont know, it could be possible. Anyway, this artist show some really fresh thoughts on the universe. I think it could work (besides the part with the Mastersword)

Guest

I AM GUEST

Nintedward

Thx 🙂 . I’m just saying the Master sword is for Link , not Zelda. But they could have Link as a girl or woman I think that would be kind of cool! As for Zelda she can’t pull the master sword out so she would have to get her own weapon 😛

greengecko007

The art is amazing and the ideas are great. I’d love to see more use of magic and fantasy like things in Zelda. It seems like we haven’t had much of that kind of stuff in the more recent games.

I understand what you mean about Zelda being the hero, she can’t embody wisdom AND courage, otherwise what’s the point of Link? But I think that the idiots in the comments section that whine about playing as a girl need to grow up. This isn’t made by a feminist trying to get back at Nintendo. It’s just a fan’s creative idea.

Fanty

I thought it was Link until I started reading more on it.

Squid

As cool as it sounds, it could not happen, because I remember there was a prophecy saying the hero of time must save the princess.

routerbad

No, the Hero of Time only refers to Link in Ocarina of Time, and his goal wasn’t just to “save the princess” it was to restore balance to hyrule. The prophecy you think you are referring to actually isn’t a prophecy at all, just a statement that the spirit of the Goddess Hylia (Zelda), the Spirit of the Hero, and the Spirit of the Usurper would continue the cycle of reincarnation to face each other throughout eternity.

It doesn’t state that the Spirit of the Hero will return to rescue the Spirit of the Goddess. In fact the Goddess is the embodiment of Wisdom in Hyrule, and Zelda always has the triforce of wisdom.

david jarman

Zelda with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight? Seriously, though I want a new Zelda game, but not this.

Only a few are true gamers

Not bad but i would not want zelda the hero but the drawings are good

DragonSilths

Eww, Link looks terrible. His hair and face just…eww.

DragonSilths

Wait thats Link as a girl? Ah hell no. If I want a female protagonist I want my Metroid, not Zelda games.

Captain~Raid

Thats not link, thats Zelda. (Remember In a few games she did had short hair.)

Edit: wait…..ooooooooooohhhh. Nevermind…>_>

DragonSilths

Regardless. I hate females with short hair. Looks ugly anyway.

Zachary

I feel like this concept is borrowing some ideas from the bioshock games. Plasmids/vigors = Zelda’s magical gauntlet. This idea seems to work for me and I would love to see a game with this direction of story one day! :]

JB

Good concept, but wouldn’t work as a Zelda game, unless it’s a non canon, alternate universe take. Seems like something I’d play if it was an actual IP.

It’s cool and creative and all, but a steampunk Zelda game is as outrageous as the Master Sword becoming a lightsaber. It just doesn’t fit.

Teves153

Just one tiny problem…………. WHERE’S HIS HAT?!

Cloud Windfoot Omega

I would like a game LIKE this but not this. I want to play as Zelda, but i don’t think she needs to use a sword. What is purposed is far too shallow from creation… “What is gurl wus link and gendur revurs hur hur” the full thing is great but the basic is something a little feminist girl would come up with. Zelda needs to be her own person, her own skills using wisdom to get past challenges rather than courage. And link cannot be royal, he still must show he has courage. …. also sheik is not really cannon to every game, she is not sheik in any game except OOT.

david jarman

The legend of zink.

Justin Shelton

it’s a nice picture but it is very 80s zelda and not current day if you know what i mean it just doesn’t look like something nintendo would put out now that their franchise has become more mature

tronic307

This is WILD. I could see it being action-packed and full of intrigue. It reminds me of a cartoony, steampunk Game of Thrones. There’s even a dash of Star Wars. I’d play this.

The quality is amazing, but I don’t like the idea at all. They basicaly changed the roles of Link and Zelda, what is weird, and… c’mon, travelling circus? On Zelda? lol, and besides they tried to put lots of concepts which I don’t think fit the Zelda universe

greengecko007

Travelling circus seems weird? They put a clown that lives on a floating island in the sky in Skyward Sword…

Guest

Thankfully this concept will never come to fruition. Legend of Zelda is my favorite franchise in the gaming industry. If Nintendo let the canon be tarred and feathered by the anecdotes of a Youtube commentator and her cult followers that lack any understanding of the franchise I would be angry.

I would not mind a game that gives the user control of the canon Zelda because she is a proven amazing character by the other games in the franchise. I would suggest that such a game should function within the parameters established by Skyward Sword, which is the foundation for the timeline.

Kudos to Nintendo because they will do Zelda the correct way instead of bankrupting critical themes in a reaction to a commentator on Youtube that slanders them.

Guest

Thankfully this concept will never come to fruition. Legend of Zelda is my favorite franchise in the gaming industry. If Nintendo let the canon be tarred and feathered by the anecdotes of a Youtube commentator and her cult followers that lack any understanding of the franchise I would be angry.

I would not mind a game that gives the user control of the canon Zelda because she is a proven amazing character as evidenced by the other games in the franchise. I would suggest that such a game should function within the parameters established by Skyward Sword, which is the foundation for the timeline.

Kudos to Nintendo because they will do Zelda the correct way instead of bankrupting critical themes in a reaction to a commentator on Youtube that slanders them.

Instead of deconstructing this persons fantasy game, I will instead suggest that he refine his concept as a separate or new franchise without the Zelda tag attached.

Somebody on here does get it! I don’t think people realize this was inspired by slanderous remarks from a youtube troll that doesnt even care about the series. She scammed people out of over 150k under the guise of feminism. She used Nintendo as her scape goat for it. Of course anybody posting “fan” fiction in response to her video would not know Zelda. They hate Nintendo.

routerbad

Where is the connection with presenting Zelda as a main protagonist and a random feminist on the internet? Did the creator specifically cite her as a source of inspiration for the artwork?

Anita Sarkesian didn’t ‘slander’ anything. Did she perhaps oversimplify Zelda’s status as a Damsel in Distress? I think so. But making a point about the problematic tropes used by many video games–Nintendo or otherwise–is a point that needs to be made. How you go from that to ‘she and her fans hate nintendo’ is well beyond me. Why the fuck would Aaron Diaz go through all that effort if he hated Nintendo? If he didn’t like Zelda?

Look at the very nerdy references he put in it! Calatia! Gamelon! Even a concrete timeline placement! This is not the work of some troll, this is the work of a fan who wants to see something different. It’s no exageration to say that the Zelda franchise is stuck in a bit of a rut, particularly in terms of structure. Nintendo themselves acknowledged this when they announced Zelda Wii U and HD Wind Waker.

The best Zelda games of the past two decades–Link’s Awakening, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker–have been those that take the formula and put a twist on it, that show us something new. If that’s not what you want’ from a Zelda game then you can always just go replay your favorites.

Anita Sarkesian does not hate Nintendo. She uses them to paint an incendiary picture of the gaming industry by distorting facts and characters in games. I don’t believe her negative dialogue is as anti Nintendo as much as it is a deception to incite anger and get a big reaction. She gets a good payoff doing this much like the Glenn Becks of the world.

To imply art is sexist is slander to an artist because for art to be sexist or patriarchal then the artist must also be sexist or hold patriarchal views. The burden of proof falls on the accuser to prove that is the artists intent or that the artist is sexist. To say art is sexist without substantiating the claim is slanderous to the artist.

I am not going to regurgitate the numerous fallacies in this guys canon because people already picked it apart . I suggest beating Skyward Sword and reading Hyrule Historia.

As for what I want in a Zelda game. I want canon and any direction Nintendo chooses to go with it. I’ve been gaming since we’ll before the first Zelda and best every one. I have loves them all. Change doesn’t scare me. Nintendo does change intelligently and better than anybody else.

Ben English

First of all, since when is the Zelda canon consistent? The very universe itself works differently from game to game because they focus on Gameplay first and build the story around the mechanics. Second, the word ‘fallacies’ does not work that way. The word you’re looking for is errors.

Third, what is erroneous about this? Just because Zelda is the protagonist doesn’t mean she had the soul of the Hero, and just because Link is the prince doesn’t mean he has the matrilinial power of the goddess. In fact, his being courageous yet naive is exactly what the Zelda lore would suggest in this case–he lacks the Wisdom that Zelda possesses. It’s not really a role reversal if you only swap their sexes.

Third, the video game industry is EXTREMELY problematic in its depiction of women. Just because there are counter examples like Lara Croft* and Commander Shepard doesn’t mean that everything is sunshine and roses. We still have publishers telling developers that they can’t make their protagonists exclusively female.

*and hell, Lara Croft was pure male gaze up until Guardian of Light.

Plus, frankly, getting all huffy over a fan-made concept for a game that not only won’t be used but legally can’t is really ridiculous. There are a whole bunch more horrifying Zelda fan projects to get up in arms over than this.

Thanks for speaking for us women. We are not impressed with your white knighting. I am a bit more concerned about how women workers are paid and treated than I am filtering or censoring every game. Go away troll. You don’t speak for women and you don’t speak for me.

Sol Ridgeway

You mean the women that make the same amount and can get jobs that men can not and now place themselves in jobs that should be made for men. Before you call me sexist I want you to know that my wife is a Mechanic and I am extremely proud of her. Women have every opportunity in this world to do whatever they want to do in life. Making them victims and saying they can not get something because they are women is making them a victim. The problem is these “Girl Power” women that make people not want to get involved with women in the work place. There are so many rules now with hiring a women that it is easier just avoid hiring them in the first place.

When women actually stop playing the victim and start SHOWING that they are just as good then they will get paid the same in those jobs.

Again my wife is a Mechanic and because of her being a girly-women she gets treated better then anyone else and gets paid more. This makes other workers with the same qualifications despise her when it is the feminist that causes this rift between men and women working together.

Plus frankly, getting huffy over the reaction to a concept of a game that will not exist is really ridiculous. There are many other reactions worth being more concerned about. See how that works?

routerbad

I agree with this completely, but please, Nintendo have made very few intelligent decisions with regard to LoZ canon. The only one I would credit them for is creating an origination story. Everything else was just hopping around without any care for canon whatsoever.

What you’ll find is that Nintendo are more prepared to depart with canon than anyone is willing to accept. They care less about canon than creating a fun game. If they have to dispense with it to create an experience that isn’t limited by what has come before, you know deep down that they will do it.

Tekina Sibawo

Right…Nintendo who created THE FIRST videogame Heroine since Ms. Pacman: Samus Aran…right. They’re so sexist…

Justin Gray

men are stereotypically portrayed in video games as violent killers. I guess you don’t see a problem with that do you now mangina?

Ben English

Who the hell is Mangina?

And of course that stereotype is also a problem but what the fuck does that have to do with this conversation?

routerbad

There is a very good reason “damsels” have been used in videogame history, one which most feminists fail to understand. In order to motivate a player to advance through a storyline and beat a game, there has to be a hook that can appeal to the players’ emotions and make them want to complete the game. Men react with very strong emotions (emotionally developed ones anyway) when presented with a situation in which a woman is being mistreated. In fact, the use of “damsels” in videogames appeals more to men who care about women than those who dont.

Men, on the other hand, are consistently portrayed as testosterone filled, over compensating, and extremely violent. They are never depicted as caring, mature, and emotionally expressive, or in other words, fatherly.

routerbad

I don’t see where this is related to her at all, you are making quite the stretch here to satisfy your own personal bias against female protagonists. I understand why people like her should not be listened to, but relegating a concept to the trash bin simply because you have trained yourself to think as an anti-feminist first, and have focused entirely too tightly on the political implications of female protagonists rather than the gameplay implications, which is all you should be focusing on, is the last thing that you should be doing.

You’ve unnecessarily brought anyone who reads this comment section down to your level of political bickering and victim-countervictim labeling rather than looking at a fairly decent concept for its merits. You are acting just like she does, only in the opposite extreme, looking at everything through the lens of your worldview rather than objectively.

So, if you don’t like it, say why YOU don’t like it, don’t waste my time projecting the blame for your own issues with an idea on someone else because you aren’t man enough to accept responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings.

The author of this “fan” fiction said it, but let’s ignorantly call people sexist. You sir are deplorable. The OP talked about how great she/he thought Zelda is. Nice blowing over strawmen instead I suppose. Better than researching.

routerbad

I didn’t call anyone sexist, I accused him of counter victim labeling and bringing his political views into a gaming conversation without provocation simply because he doesn’t like someone on the internet. There are no strawmen in my argument, it is pointed directly at him. Meanwhile, he builds a strawman around this concept to argue his beliefs to the contrary of feminism. I agree with his viewpoint, but it doesn’t belong here. If he attacked the concept on its merits there would be no issue, rather he built up a strawman argument based on his love of Zelda and his hate for a particular feminist. What never came through in that post was his love for Zelda, which, while he did claim to love Zelda, was more worried about Sarkeesian.

You can disagree with what I say, but I am not deplorable, let me assure you.

She/He does address it on it’s merits. She/he says she/he doesn’t want a Zelda that defeats canon and I thought clearly indicates Zelda’s heroics function within her lore. She is a goddess incarnate for crying out loud.

There was no irrelevant political views drawn. This concept was illustrated in response to feminist frequencies tropes vs women video. As much has been clearly stated and proven in this thread. That makes the OP on point because her/his concern was that this was made without regard for canon and the fact it was designed to appease the ideas in Sarkesian’s video is evidence.

Your denial that the OP’s passion for Zelda was absent or hardly evident is a joke. She/he is on a site called Wii U Daily and rambling praise for Nintendo and defending the franchise.

The Clockwork Being

So much win in this post 🙂

routerbad

It was not addressed on it’s merits. The OP even said there is no issue with a Zelda game featuring Zelda as the protagonist, because we all know her to be a strong character who rarely sits idly by as Link does his thing. He went on to say that this particular concept would doom the franchise simply because it is inspired by something he does not agree with.

Calling something non-canon is a joke, it’s a fan concept, for crying out loud, when are they ever true to canon? Hell, what is canon in the Zelda universe? If Nintendo were overly obsessed with canonizing everything the games would have never been as fun as they are.

It’s a smokescreen and a launching point for a hate filled tirade directed at something that is only loosely affiliated. Hence I say “take the hate somewhere else”. There is little need of it here.

Whitney Wagoner

@routerbad wow… talk about coming off like a moron… as a woman a feminist and a gamer let me say you are a curse to womens cause and an embarrassment to nintendo fans.

routerbad

Wow, I don’t care what your sex or hobby is, I’m not a curse to anything, certainly not a woman’s cause being a male, and I share the love for Zelda that “Guest” claims he has, but he hates a person on the internet apparently more than he loves Zelda.

Actually, you, who came with an insult rather than a substantive argument, come off more like a moron. If there is an actual problem with what I said, please tell me. If you are angry about what I said simply because you don’t understand what I was saying, let me explain.

My post was about not bringing hate for randoms into a thread about Zelda. We don’t need that bs here. Keep it on Youtube. I actually agree wholeheartedly with his opinion as far as Feminism in the video game industry and Anita Sarkeesian is concerned. Where I differ in my opinion is where it is appropriate to allow that hate to lash out. It is not appropriate here.

Metal_Man_v2

Exactly, the videos in the comment above are great and explain how the roles of the princesses like princess Zelda are relevant. There is nothing sexist about Link saving Zelda obviously. But many people are forgetting that this is a two way street. If Link saving Zelda isn’t sexist, than Zelda saving Link isn’t sexist or extreme feminist.

I thought this idea was really cool. It’s a shame so many people are insecure about topics like this. Is it really that big of a deal? It’s a fan idea, meaning it will never be used.

Who was being insecure? The OP just wants their games to follow canon. He seems interested in playing as Zelda. I am interested in playing as Zelda. I am not interested in a game that defies the groundwork of the series.

Would a Marvel fan be interested if Wolverine was turned into a powerless coward? What if Wonder Woman became a frail human absent of strength and courage?

Zelda is amazing and doesn’t need reworked to be any other way. Link is amazing and doesn’t need to be designed like an aloof Prince to feature Zelda. It is lazy writing.

Metal_Man_v2

I agree that having Zelda as the hero is problematic and conflicts with the lore presented in the previous Zelda games. But people keep looking over the fact that this is a fan’s artwork. I don’t go to fanfiction and expect to read canonized, copy pasted stories. I expect the fans to include their own ideas in their work. Suggesting that the artist redo his ideas because someone personally took offense to it is just as crazy as expecting Nintendo to stop making Zelda a damsel in distress.

And LOL. Lazy writing how? I can clearly see the effort fleshed out into this idea. Prince Link is described as naive and sheltered but also noble and curious. I also don’t think you know what aloof means.

You missed the point. Zelda can save Link. Link just does not have to be a sheltered idiot to make it so. The easy opt out is to flip the script instead of designing a compelling reason why Princess Zelda must recover Link.

Again if I made a fan fiction for X-Men where Wolverine was a powerless scientist with a soft loving heart then I could see Marvel fans crying foul. It is acceptable to point out that fan fiction will not work because it is not canon.

Nice to know you oversimplified Zelda as a damsel in distress by the way. When she aids, assists and guides Link is he not then a mansel in distress?
aloof (əˈluːf ) adverb apart or at a distance from other people.

Metal_Man_v2

I’m not missing the point. I understand, and agree with what you are saying, as I have written the same thing in my own comments. The only point I have been trying to make is that in Guest’s original comment he puts the artists work to close to the views of the youtuber that slandered Nintendo.

While the artwork was inspired by her, there is nothing that is offensive about the artwork, and it doesn’t contain any material ment to portray women as a superior sex to man.

As far as everything else, I don’t believe I oversimplified Zelda at all. I just didn’t feel the need to go over how she is part of the foundation of the series, because we both know that.

Aloof is an adjective, not an adverb. It describes something as uninterested, which is quite opposite of the Prince Link described here as curious.

I am not offended by the artwork. I disagree with it and that is all. Zelda is holding a master sword. That is error enough to see that it does not follow canon. I think you are missing the point that the author illustrated here. These logical inconsistencies were not presented for any other reason beyond turning perceived (as per Sarkesian’s tropes video) Zelda into perceived Link and perceived Link into perceived Zelda. The reactionary premise for which this fantasy game was built made this a doomed concept from the onset.

Nobody said this guys art portrayed women as a superior sex. They said the concept did not portray Link and did not portray Zelda and then explained the reason these characters did not. Think if I had made a fan fiction of a Metroid game where Samus is just a quirky space traveler wandering a planet aimlessly as the gamer plays as a foolish Chozo named Sam learning the way of things. That thought you get of how stupid that is reflects the dissenting views on here.

That said I think we agree about alot. I think there is just a misunderstanding on the debate angle. The conclusion is the same. I hope I was able to clear up some of the communication errors. The author does in fact have a neat idea. It is unlikely to be anything I would be interested in. However, he does not have a neat idea for the Zelda franchise at all.

Now on the side debate:

It is funny how the most recognized dictionary in the English language has aloof recognized as an adverb as well as an adjective. This is copy and pasted directly from Merriam-Webster’s page.

Main Entry: 1aloof
Pronunciation: -lüf
Function: adverb
: at a distance : out of involvement

Please tell me you understand the usage now. You have irrefutably just been proven wrong on your dismissal of the word as an adverb.

The origin of the word aloof stems from the Dutch word loef meaning “weather side of a ship.” When given as a nautical order aloof meant to keep the ship’s head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or some other quarter hence the correlation with it meaning at a distance. In other words the meaning of the word originally meant to keep at a physical distance (a definition that still holds weight today).

Holy Toledo Batman! Dictionary pwnage to the extent of going all the way to the origin of a word lol.

@Cam Jansen I love your posts and think you are completely right. Being a female I really don’t see the hostility towards the arguments presented. It is a valid criticism to state that this idea is bad and was pigeon holed to be such because it was filtered through a Youtube video of bad criticism before the idea was ever cultivated.

@Metal_Man_v2 I think you are on the same page and have said some accurate things on here. I enjoy your posts as well. I agree with a lot of what you said. With that said you seem to have lost on the “aloof” debate. 😉

@both of you from my big sister mindset: You guys are on the same side so quit picking each other apart over pointless details. We all agree this is not a Zelda and it shouldn’t be. We have established that it was made by a video of distorted feminism. Believe me because real feminists want equality not superiority.

So this means what? We are debating the word “aloof” and the tone of the original posting lol.

Metal_Man_v2

LOL, I know it’s pointless, but it is fun. I wouldn’t call it an argument so much as a discussion. Like you said, everyone mostly agrees on the same thing.

Metal_Man_v2

“Nobody said this guys art portrayed women as a superior sex.”

Maybe read through some of the comments on this page? I know that there are a lot now, but there have been many that suggested this was a feminist attempt at belittling the male gender, or that playing as a girl would be a stupid idea. That is really the only thing I was arguing in my original post, when I mentioned that people in the comments section were being insecure. I also disagreed with how Guest’s original comment suggested that the artist rework their ideas because they aren’t canon, which to me seemed ridiculous. Which is how this started.

It seems we’ve come full circle. I feel like I’m saying the same thing over and over again. I’m tired of typing it, and I’m sure you’re tired of reading it.

Aloof is an adjective. Aloofly is an adverb. The two are used in different ways. The source you provided explains this. I will however admit that I have never heard of aloof being used to describe something that is physically distanced. If that is what you were originally were referring to, then I could totally see that.

You can’t be that daft. The word has more than one meaning. Nice job cherry picking one that I was not using. I already pasted evidence to support my usage from an online dictionary

Metal_Man_v2

Hm, that’s kind of hurtful. Implying a cherry picked one definition when I gave a solid 3.

routerbad

No Zelda game yet has done a good job of “following canon”. They only ever developed a timeline as an afterthought because of fan pressure. The official timeline, in fact, is lazily crafted, “The Hero is Defeated”?! please…

I totally get that no one wants to see Link depicted as weak, powerless, incompetent, etc. He is the Spirit of the Hero after all. However, that wasn’t what the OP said. He said nothing of the concept itself except as an opening salvo into his hate filled tirade about a feminist commentator. Noting for everyone here that she was the reason for this concept, fine. Mucking up the thread with hate speak about feminists bankrupting Nintendo, not necessary.

The Clockwork Being

Read the Zelda hystoria, look at the fan base of the Zelda game, understand every character and then come back. Its not about being sexist, anti-female protagonist of political veiws its about the world of “The Legend of Zelda“ games, its timeline and the flow of characters. If you dont get this than you shouldnt be talking about this in any way

routerbad

I own and have read Hyrule Historia, I own most of the games (the NES versions I have on 3DS, the rest I have on the original form). I am very much a part of the fanbase for the games and the universe. Trust me when I say Nintendo themselves have done enough throughout the years to jack up the continuity of the game series.

I understand the characters, and none of that would lead me to believe that having a Zelda entrant with Zelda as the protagonist would do anything to harm the series, bankrupt Nintendo, screw up the timeline, or anything else the OP claimed. No, his issue was with the motivation for creating the concept to begin with, which while I agree with his opinions of Anita Sarkeesian, the fact that her commentary was a source of inspiration for the concept creator does not take away the merits of the concept in and of themselves.

I agree that feminism has no place in the video game industry, or in any industry in my opinion, strong women don’t require being labeled a victim to have their voices heard. The feminist movement cares more about the feminist movement than about women, that much they have proven time and time again. They don’t want women to be strong, they want meek women to grow their ranks, because they bank on anger over any other emotion to grow their cause.

That aside, the concept has merit, if done correctly, it could have potential, and lets be honest, what Zelda fan wouldn’t want to take a walk in Zelda’s shoes? Considering most Zelda fans already consider her a strong, capable woman, and not the damsel that feminist groups would like everyone to believe.

I didn’t say it was about being anti-female protagonist, the OP never said he would be against a Zelda with her in the lead role, just not this concept, because of the political implications from which it was created. OP dislikes Anita Sarkeesian, and by extension, this concept, and despite the sweeping declarations of doom if a concept like this ever came to fruition, there is nothing in the post but hate for Sarkeesian to back it up, no substance whatsoever.

So, I get this, I get it very well. I simply don’t think the hatefilled posts and back and forth regarding feminism in video games needs to be part of the discussion other than to bring to light the source of the content.

Its a concept for a Zelda game, that’s supposed to be fun, to analyze and determine what’s good about it, and what is not. We’d be better served by simply ignoring the feminism argument altogether and having fun with something that has become something of a pastime for fans of the series, nearly as strong as the series itself, referring of course to exploring the Zelda universe and what it means to each of us.

“I would not mind a game that gives the user control of the canon Zelda because she is a proven amazing character”

routerbad

I know, I said as much. He has no issue playing as Zelda, just an issue with this concept, because it was inspired by Sarkeesian. I don’t care who it was inspired by, it’s just a fan made concept, a mockup based on what they would enjoy, and the creator put a lot of effort into it, regardless of where the original inspiration came from, it looks decent enough with a little work.

Linskarmo

It would not work as a LoZ game very well, as it would undermine the basic structure, so I understand the vehemence in the comments. I don’t agree with the negativity though. I think it would be an interesting stand-alone game, and I can’t imagine someone would put so much work into something like this just to insult someone else.

gurlpower95

i want to nock your head of you snob. its over do thhat women get there turn and nobody cares about the other stupid games in the series cause they dontt matter now. most people prolly havent even played them. its time for the new generation to get our pro women games. boys gonna have to sit one out. nintendo is do to stop there sexism anyways.

Read the Hyrule Historia, than get it. I bet you dont even know how the world of Zelda works…

routerbad

Seriously, this is even worse than his post. First, no one is knocking anyone’s head, this is the internet. Second, there is nothing in his post that suggests that he is sexist at all. Anti feminist maybe, but disliking the worst sexists on the planet hardly makes you a sexist.

No one wants “pro women games” because games that focus too much on being “pro women” are not fun to play, and aim at a political statement rather than an immersive interactive experience.

People just want to play games with characters they can associate with on an emotional level, unless you play FPS’s, which cater primarily to the emotionally undeveloped, but I digress.

No one has to sit one out, this is just a fan made concept, and one that the creator has put a fair amount of effort into.

Also, millions upon millions have played every entrant in the Zelda series, and the fanbase is about the most hardcore there is for any entertainment media. That’s why even the smallest things can upset some Zelda fans.

Michael Taylor Hawthorne

I would like this Zelda and link (normal link) in a game

sdfsdf

link looks like a homo

HydePark1980

This guy should be on Nintendo’s payroll.

Michael Taylor Hawthorne

Would you like to see a co op mode featuring a playable zelda (not necessarily this one)

great deku tree

I’m thinking that it’ll be 2-player but not zelda and link. more like one link chases Ganon into another time where he meets another Link and Ganon also gets a partner and the two links have to work together to beat them. I definitely thinking it’ll be 2-player because four swords didn’t work with lots of people for many reasons and maybe this will be one of the first games to use 2 game-pads?

Michael Taylor Hawthorne

i still think Zelda should the 2nd player or at least be a supporting role kinda like spirit tracks just not dead. Or maybe a dlc where you can play as her

great deku tree

She could be a secondary player I guess but it is the chosen hero who wields the master sword and has the tri-force of courage. This story has totally twisted that concept. Perhaps the person who controls Link has a wii mote plus who still fights with the sword, aims the grapple-hook or whatever but the person controlling Zelda has magic powers and her bow? for example she learns new mage powers like in the article and can use them in temples and help Link in his fights. For example in twilight princess you have the wind boomerang for turning turbines and so on. well here Zelda could use new wind powers to manipulate things and so on? Also zelda only uses the game-pad screen. Link can still see her on the tv screen but it means that it doesn’t need to be split-screen for her to travel somewhere else without Link if that makes sense. Some concepts in this article are very good but forget the whole wimpy prince link and warrior zelda thing but yes she totally could be in the game just not the way she is here.

Michael Taylor Hawthorne

Yes yes yes. 100% with you. She is not the chosen hero but she does have part of the triforce i think a bad ass zelda + bad ass link would =a bad ass game

great deku tree

You know before this conversation I kept thinking that Zelda would be of no use in the game and totally rubbish if she was made the hero and so on which is true. but if it was multiplayer it would actually be a good game if she were to be a part. it would definitely open up a lot of opportunities for new aspects of the game as well as being able to make the dungeons a lot harder since there are two people playing. but one thing that must be in it is harder enemies. in skyward sword the enemies were way too easy plus include some skills to be learned again please that was brilliant in twilight princess, if zelda was to be in the game she could learn new spells, make new potions and acquire new types of arrows for better use against certain enemies. a simple example being fire arrows for ice giants or poison arrows for particularly tough opponents but please Nintendo, make the dungeons and opponents harder than they were in Skyward sword and improve the fighting.

Xavier Lopez Chabelo

GEEZ.. IT SURE IS BORING AROUND HERE!!

Thomas Fitzgibbon

The clockwork concept is ingenious and very fitting for the franchise in my opinion. Plus making Zelda a strong protagonist will improve the image of women in gaming furthermore, just like Samus in the Metroid series.

Somebody is not a Zelda fan. I think being the woman here I can say that woman in gaming don’t need an image makeover. Sales reflect demographics. Demographics create markets. Games exist to make money and I guess I just like these games you find demeaning in some way.

Now that is a good idea! I would love to relive some of the classics that way.

Linskarmo

Amazingly done. Absolutely stunning artwork, and creative setting. The series’ name certainly would make more sense for this concept, too. I would be uncomfortable with such radical changes, but it is quite an intriguing and well worked out concept.

fireheartis1

Ok seriously you say we still have until Midnight tonight to enter in our comment for the contest on the contest page, but yet the comments are closed!!! What the heck is up with that one men/women. That’s just not cool to say we have till midnight but then go ahead and close the comment sections. I know this probably will not count but I would call it. The Legend of Zelda: Marriage of Courage & Wisdom. Where Link and Zelda realize it makes them strong to bond in marriage and it creates new powers. I know this comment will not count on the contest because the comments were closed on the contest page, but I just wanted to get my idea out there.

discuss

Overal it’s good except for the face. She looks like a man-woman with a cold.

MemyselFishness

I never got to post this to the contest, but here it is.
The Legend of Zelda: The Broken Timeline

In a place unknown, in a time unknown, the antagonists Ganondorf, Vaati, and Ghirahim are locked in a prison. They discover a fragment of the Ocarina of Time. They then use this as a weapon too escape there prison. Unfortunately this causes someone in Majora’s Mask to recognize Link as the hero of a different future. This causes all the triforces to be taken away. This is what causes the antagonists to be locked up in the first place. They are locked up in the four swords. A thousand years into the future a brutal and bloody war is taking place for control of the throne. The HyLords are loosing to the GanDukes. A young man named Link is running away from the war when a mysterious being appears to him taking him away. He then finds the Four Sword, taking it he releases the bad guys and the Tri-Forces hidden within. Link must defeat the bad guys while stopping a war, before Zelda, princess general of the HyLords, is killed in battle. Link has visions of the future because of the shattered Ocarina.

Marcell Wade

I do think it would be nice, to play as Zelda for a very short portion of a Zelda game, by letting Zelda have a mission from her point of view, as Sheik or something, anyone?

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEbN2VmadPA) is the type of Nintendo game that had my attention! Their ad style, presentation was so much superior to Sega’s weak ads that I dismissed Sega and only dreamed about Nintendo.

During the time they were releasing the N64 and they did not go all out and stuck with carts. That’s when I realized that they were not serious and wanted to stick to the baby audience.

disqus_bBQXW45NuQ

The sword chooses the hero, Zelda could be the hero. It doesn’t have to be gender bound so Zelda could be the link of this story just as a girl. LOL Zelda is right handed 🙂 if ya didn’t notice. 😛

disqus_bBQXW45NuQ

😮 this could be a different universe were zelda has the triforce of courage and link has the triforce of wisdom. In this story Zelda AKA link is trying to stop ganon and link AKA zelda is the trapped one.

disqus_bBQXW45NuQ

GUYS this is a universe were zelda and link have switched roles. SMART MOVE NINTENDO!! this ant the links the hero universe its the zelda is the hero universe.

Daniel3

Awesome art, nice concept, I have nothing against the people behind it.

But… what does it has to do with the Wii U??? and what does it has to do with this website???

I know, I know… its Nintendo’s best franchise ever… but this feels bit random, plus 100% unofficial (as amazing as it can be)… I think it just makes the website looks a bit “silly”, with all due respect…

I love Wii U-daily because is the best Wii related website I’ve found so far, because IT IS all about the Wii U! … but this… this feels so generic, the kind of stuff u can find in pretty much every Zelda fansite, if isn’t there already there, which anyway, soon or late, most Zelda hardcore fans like me would eventually find out… so why would we wanna see it here in Wii U daily too???

I think the website sould stay true to the concept, which is great = the WII U and WII U related stuff… if not, why not talking about those awesome Super Metroid hacks and fangames??? (irony implied) … they have as much to do with the Wii U as this Zelda fan art thing.

Like on this post I saw on tumblr, I think if they were to make a game focusing on Zelda, then they should focus it around the Zelda for OoT and what happened to her after she fled the Hyrule castle and spent the next 7 years in hiding with Impa as Sheik.

ThunderGod_Cid

Not really digging this version of Zelda.

IF Zelda were ever to be the main protagonist, I expect it to be as Sheik during Link’s 7-year sleep in Ocarina of Time, not as a copy of Link.

Or in an alternate timeline, where Link never woke up from his sleep in the Temple of Time, or was killed by Ganondorf(Link’s defeated Timeline). Therefore Zelda had to continue as her Sheik persona, striking out against Ganondorf’s forces from the shadows.

The only other way I could see a female lead in a Zelda game, is if you played as one of Link’s female descendants.

howling_wolf1334:[

I already preorder the windwaker, but if this game change the genre of the hero I will not preorder it… WW is better than this game concept… I would like that nintendo make an HD version of MM or OoT…

error

link should not be in mariokart until petrol is introduced in hyrule.

error

Link should be able to play in a band in the next Zelda. He’d play the ocarina with a rag tag crew of methy looking elfs. They would jam in the milk bar. Link could have the option of buying the drum kit from one of the elves. The drm kit would cost 500 rupees, too much for Link’s rupee purse.

Arthur Jarret

Already did it in Majora’s mask – been there, done that.

error

Link should swim in leaf-like, Gollum speedos. And he should be ripped like Gollum, but not greedy like Gollum.

Even worse but at least the people who want to play as Zelda have options.

Silent

The spirit of of hero and the goddess cant mix.

Gabe Hoffman

The concept seems good just not in a Zelda game

Jack Shepherd

I haven’t bought a Wii U yet, because none of the games available actually interest me. But I would pick one up in a heartbeat just to play this game. People keep referring to it as a “fresh take on Zelda,” and as much as I hate jumping on the bandwagon, people are saying that because it’s true. The concept livens up the Zelda structure while staying true to both the playing experience and narrative of Zelda. It clearly seems to have been constructed with classic Zelda gameplay in mind: puzzle solving mixed with swordplay item (or in this case spell) based combat. It also clearly preserves the Courage, Wisdom, Power and Blood, Spirit, Hatred relationship that has been central to Zelda plot for so long. The art design is also quite good; I particularly like the designs for the different tunics/outfits for Zelda, especially the airship captain disguise.

If I have one criticism, it’s that the full world doesn’t seem to be fleshed out yet. There’s only two races: the sheikah and Link’s descendants (technically Hylians?), and only two locations: Calatia and Hylian ruins. Obviously this would be expanded over time, but it would be nice to play a Zelda game in which you feel as though you are a small part of a much larger world. As much as I loved Skyward Sword, it failed miserably to do this. Skyloft was an interesting area, with plenty of colorful characters, but it didn’t take very long to explore. Twilight Princess did a slightly better job, but only in Hyrule town market, and most of the people weren’t particularly interesting. It would be nice to have multiple towns to enter, and feel as though each one is actually a town (being influence by but separate from the wild outside) and are each distinct from each other.

All in all, this seems to be a well thought out concept that shakes things up enough to create a new experience while staying true to the touchstones that make Zelda Zelda. I said this at the start of my comment, and I’ll say it again: this game would be a system mover for me.

Spawn

Generic as hell.

Tekina Sibawo

Anita Sarkeesian is the biggest troll ever. She needs to stop peddling her misinformed views.
As for this game, it would be cool as an interesting game but not a Zelda game. It’s far too different to fit in the Zelda universe. The only similarity are the names. (Kinda like how Super Mario Bros 2 was really another game with playable Mario characters)